


Broken Happy Ever Afters

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-10 23:54:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12310536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: It wasn’t something any of them wanted, it turned out. But it was too late to change anything now. After all, ignorance is bliss. Up until it’s not.





	Broken Happy Ever Afters

**Author's Note:**

> This is trashier than my normal trash, sigh. Based on/inspired by ‘What About Us’ by P!nk. Gave me a lot of feels about them ending their partnership way back in preboot, waah.

He should of known. Though, if he was being honest with himself: he did. Of course he knew. Knew from the second Bruce came back.

He just ignored it.

Let the thought be hidden by the fact that Bruce was back. Bruce was alive, and it was everything he and the whole family had ever wanted.

So he focused on everything else. Distracted himself with family reuniting, with recreating his old Nightwing uniform, with finding a new apartment.

And that left them here.

They were in the cave. Dick was finished with those last few Batman cases, and about to step off to restart his life, moving into his new place in the morning. Bruce was going out on patrol. They’d just caught each other, were chatting about the last minute changes and new beginnings. The conversation was light, and almost carefree. Almost like the good old days, when it was just the two of them.

But it was way more than just the two of them now.

Damian was sitting at the computer, slouched poutily in the chair. In his Robin uniform of course, despite already being told he wasn’t going out tonight, that Bruce was going on patrol alone. Just sat there silently, staring. Oddly quiet, Dick knew, and that was mildly concerning but he wasn’t going to let on. Wasn’t going to let Bruce know that little secret. Knew Damian would hate him if he did.

(And he was already losing Damian as his partner. Damian was already being ripped from his side, at Bruce’s request – and of course, how could he say no? He’d give Bruce the world right now, if his father asked, that’s how thrilled he was that he was back. But still – it was change enough, Damian being given to someone else, like it was a custody agreement. He couldn’t let their relationship change anymore than it already was.

His heart ached suddenly, but – no. Not now. Just ignore it. It’s nothing. He was going back to Nightwing, and Damian was going to Bruce, where he belonged. It was a happy ending for all of them. They were all going to get what they wanted. The end.)

“Just a few more days,” Bruce hummed to Damian with a smile, after the youngest snorted when Bruce mentioned he was staying in. He kept his eyes on Dick, though. “Hopefully you’ll all be settled by then, Dick, and we’ll see Nightwing out there too.”

“Oh, yeah, maybe.” Dick laughed. “You’ll probably see me even if I’m not settled. You know I hate this moving crap.” He glanced over at Damian, who was still just… _staring_ into nothingness, head turned towards the wide expanse of the cave. “And what about you, Damian? You excited to finally work with your dad?”

Damian glanced up at him as he spoke, and blinked when Dick finished his question. Looked down again for just a second, before returning his gaze.

“And what about us?”

Dick felt his grin slip. His mind flashing the alarms instantly. His heart suddenly aching even worse.

Because he knew. He knew, he knew, he knew, and he just _ignored_ it.

“…What?”

“What about us?” Damian repeated, sitting up. “What about everything you told me?”

Dick tilted his head, feeling guilt already swirling in his gut. “I don’t…”

“You said we were partners. You said we’d _always_ have each other’s backs.” Damian accused. “You said you _trusted_ me. You said it was a good thing I chose you over my mother, and my upbringing.”

Dick turned towards him, could already feel Bruce emotionally retreating behind him. Letting him handle this. Letting him handle his son. Just watching, observing like they were a case.

“Damian…”

“You said Batman and Robin never die. You asked where you’d be without me! You said…” Damian stood now, body tense. Dick couldn’t tell if he looked more like he was about to attack or run away. Realized it didn’t matter at Damian’s next declaration. “You said you _loved_ me!”

His words echoed through the cave, and even Bruce’s interest was piqued at this. There was a moment of silence. A few moments of silence. Panic and pain and embarrassment and nerves washing over Damian’s face.

“So…so what about us?” Damian whispered, sounding childish for the first goddamn time since Dick met him. “What happens to us, in all this? To you and me?”

Bruce moved forward. Tried, for the first time, with the child he never knew existed before long ago. Tried, for the first time, _period_. “Son…”

“You didn’t ask. No one _talked_ to me.” Damian was beginning to ramble. He looked away, down at his hands, at his feet, at the computer behind him. Looking to run, to disappear and hide, maybe forever now. Mentally chastising himself, Dick knew, for showing such ‘weakness.’ For not listening to the plan and following whatever commands he was given, like he was taught. By Talia, by Dick, by Bruce – by everyone. “It’s just…it’s just _happening_ , and no one said anything to me. I…I wasn’t given time to _prepare_. W-wasn’t _trained_ for…”

“Damian.” Dick tried again, stepping towards him. Damian stumbled backwards, tripped against the chair. Eyes wide and wild and wet now. A cornered animal. “Damian, stop.”

And like he’d just thought – Damian was trained to listen to orders. He took this as one, and listened. Froze, and kept his gaze submissively downwards, even as Dick kneeled in front of him.

“I…I know I wasn’t good enough. I’m sorry.” Damian whispered. And god – where was all this before? Why hadn’t he ever seen it, the real child Damian was under all the bravado? But maybe he did, maybe it was just like before – he just ignored it. “But…if you tell me, I’ll train harder. Work to _fix_ it-”

“Damian, it’s okay.” Dick tried with a smile, reaching up to first put a hand on Damian’s face, then down a little to hold his shoulder. “Can you look at me please?”

Damian hesitated, but eventually did. Glanced up at Dick with big, sad, puppy dog eyes.

“I’m not trying to get _rid_ of you, if that’s what you think. None of this is happening because you aren’t good enough.” He laughed a little. “Quite the opposite actually. You’re great. _Amazing_ , really. One of the best partners I’ve ever had. But I _know_ you’ve always wanted to work with your dad. I know it’s been your dream for years, and who am I to stand in the way of you actually getting it? You _deserve_ this, you deserve to finally have this opportunity. And if I can have a small part in letting you have it then, dammit, I’m going to do it.”

Damian sniffed.

“I’m…sorry, I didn’t talk to you. That none of us did.” Dick admitted. “And you’re right, we totally should have. We just sprung this on you and never even asked you what you were feeling. Never gave you the opportunity to share it, and that’s not fair, especially after I preached so much about the importance of family and communication.”

Damian blinked, and then glanced behind him, towards Bruce. Suddenly all of the emotions on his face gave way to blatant fear. “…What if it doesn’t work?” Back to Dick, whispering like Bruce couldn’t hear every word he said anyway. “What if he _hates_ me? Because you and Drake did at first, so-”

“He never could.” Dick promised with a grin. “And trust me, he’s a lot smarter than me and Tim combined. But…if it doesn’t work, then I’ll come back. I’ll pick you up and beat up your dad and take over Batman again, just for you.”

And even in his state, Damian couldn’t hold in his snort. “You could _never_ beat up my father.”

“I know.” Dick winked. “But for you, I’d totally try.”

Damian flashed a sad smile, but it immediately settled back into a frown. “Grayson,” He still whispered. “What about us?”

“We’ll still be the best, you and me. Losing…” Suddenly his throat went tight, emotions swelling and lodging themselves there. That ache in his heart felt like a knife through his soul. “Losing you as a partner won’t change that. You’ll still be my little brother.” He smiled, but it was pained and nostalgic and he knew Damian could see right through him. “You’ll still be one of my best friends, and most favorite people.”

Damian blushed a little at that, and dropped his gaze. Dick laughed, and pulled Damian into an embrace he didn’t fight, for once in his young life.

Dick could feel Bruce’s eyes on them, but he didn’t care. It wasn’t Bruce’s moment right now. It was his. His and his little brother’s. His and Damian’s.

“I love you, kiddo.” Dick whispered into his ear. “And I’m _so_ proud of you. You’ve come so far. You _deserve_ this.”

And again: “What if he hates me?”

“Then he’s an idiot.” Dick promised. “But trust me, okay? He’s crap at showing it, but he loves you more than anything in the _world_. That’s why he wants to work with you too.” A squeeze of Damian’s shoulders. “He asked _me_ if he could work with you. Frankly, I think he was _jealous_.”

Damian didn’t respond to the statement. Just collapsed some of his weight against Dick’s chest, turning his face into his neck. “Where are you moving to again?”

“Not far. More downtown. Not back to the penthouse. Don’t think I could live there without you and Alfie.” Dick hummed, gently rubbing Damian’s spine. He didn’t let his hand trail down to where Talia’s implants still were, deactivated now. Didn’t like thinking about that time. The mistakes he made. How he almost lost Damian, in more ways than one. “I’ll still be here all the time. Alfie said he’s going to keep my room up. It’ll be like I never left anyway.”

“Hm.” Damian sounded. He stayed in Dick’s arms a second more, then pulled back. Still kept his eyes away, even as Dick stared up at him.

“Why don’t you head on upstairs? Bruce may be going on patrol tonight, but I don’t have to.” Dick decided. “It’s my last real night in the manor – how about you go pull the ingredients for milkshakes and get the popcorn started, and we have one last movie night, just you and me, like we did last year on Fourth of July?”

Damian nodded silently, and without another word, turned and practically ran towards the stairs. Passed his father without looking at him either, and disappeared into the giant mansion.

Dick remained crouched on the floor for just a few more seconds, listening to the patter of Damian’s feet, felt Bruce’s eyes on him still. Then turned to look at him over his shoulder.

“He’s a special kid.” He stated coolly. “A _great_ kid.”

“I know.” Bruce returned, as Dick stood and came back towards him. He stopped next to Bruce, and looked up the stairs.

“…So you better take care of him.” Dick whispered. Bruce looked at him. “You know I don’t ask for much, Bruce, but I meant what I said to him. I’ll kick your ass if you don’t.”

“I will.” Bruce promised with a serious nod.

“Please.” Dick pushed. “I’ll beg you if I have to Bruce, but. Please.” Dick sighed, and it sounded shaky. Sad and lost as he closed his eyes for a few moments. “Please love him as much as I do. Please protect him and take care of him and just. Give him the world, more than you ever tried for the rest of us.”

“I’ll do my best.” Bruce reiterated.

“Do _better_ than your best.” Dick countered with a disappointment clearly aimed at himself as he stepped off in Damian’s wake. “Because he’s earned more than that.”

And Dick could feel Bruce’s own remorse as he started up the stairs. As he heard Bruce start to move towards his cars. And – maybe they were rushing this. Maybe they shouldn’t do this. Maybe Dick should turn around and say he’s not giving his Robin up, that they can revisit this in a few months, in a year. Maybe they should just straight up ask Damian what he wanted, and go with that.

And it was a whisper, but Dick still heard it when Bruce sighed.

“Indeed he has.”


End file.
